Softwr

Payroll & Benefits · head to head

Oyster vs RingCentral Video

Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll & Benefits

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RingCentral Video logo

RingCentral Video

Communication & Collaboration

Connected cloud communications

From
$19.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Oyster has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing; RingCentral Video unlimited calling is limited to the US and Canada markets; other international calls are charged per minute at the published international rates table
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, RingCentral Video covers HD video conferencing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and RingCentral Video actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and RingCentral Video differ
AttributeOysterRingCentral Video
Starting priceFree$19.99/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android
CategoryPayroll & BenefitsCommunication & Collaboration
Founded20201999

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Oyster

  • Global Employment
  • Payroll
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR

Only in RingCentral Video

  • HD video conferencing
  • Voice and video calling
  • Screen sharing
  • Virtual backgrounds
  • Recording and transcription
  • Chat and messaging
  • Calendar integration
  • Meeting attendee controls

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Oyster

  • Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot RingCentral Video
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot RingCentral Video
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot RingCentral Video

RingCentral Video

  • Cloud business phone system with video meetings and team messagingnot Oyster
  • Replacing on-premise PBX hardware for distributed teamsnot Oyster

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Oyster

  • Employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • A refundable deposit is required before an EOR engagement starts
  • Contractor management is free for 30 days then $29 per contractor per month
  • HR advisory through People Partner Services is billed at $300 per hour on top of the subscription
  • A currency conversion fee applies when you pay Oyster in a currency other than the contract currency
  • Payments are accepted only by direct debit or wire in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD

RingCentral Video

  • Unlimited calling is limited to the US and Canada markets; other international calls are charged per minute at the published international rates table
  • The free trial is only for new subscribers and is capped at five users and two desktop phones, with SMS unavailable during the trial
  • Trial hardware must be returned within 21 days of trial cancellation to avoid hardware charges
  • Phone rental is available only with a multi-year contract
  • Automated, high volume or marketing SMS costs extra as RingCentral High Volume SMS, and TCR registration is required for SMS and MMS
  • A Mobile User extension is free to add but is billed at the same monthly rate as a Digital Line in any month it is used to make or receive a call
  • The Webinar 500 discount lasts one year on a one year commitment, after which pricing reverts to $75 per host per month or the then current retail price
  • Taxes and recovery fees including the Federal Universal Service Recovery Fee, E911 Service Fee and Compliance and Administrative Cost Recovery Fee are added on top
  • The advertised savings of up to 33% require paying annually

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

Free
  • Contractor$29/month
    • Contractor Payments
    • Compliant Contracts
    • Invoicing
  • Employee$599/month
    • Global Employment
    • Payroll
    • Benefits

RingCentral Video

$19.99/month
  • Essentials$19.99/month
    • Video meetings
    • Phone service
    • Text messaging
  • Standard$27.99/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Advanced meeting controls
    • Call recording
  • Premium$34.99/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Advanced security features
    • Compliance recording
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited everything
    • Custom deployment
    • Dedicated account manager

Which should you pick?

Choose Oyster if

  • You need global employment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Oyster review

Choose RingCentral Video if

  • You need hd video conferencing.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want voice and video calling.
RingCentral Video review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or RingCentral Video better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and RingCentral Video at $19.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or RingCentral Video?
Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Oyster and $19.99/month for RingCentral Video.
Does Oyster or RingCentral Video run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. RingCentral Video runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
Can I use Oyster for free?
Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RingCentral Video starts at $19.99/month.
What is Oyster best used for?
Oyster is most often used for hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entity, onboarding and paying international contractors, getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teams. Of those, hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entity and onboarding and paying international contractors are not what RingCentral Video is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that RingCentral Video cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. RingCentral Video covers HD video conferencing, Voice and video calling, Screen sharing, Virtual backgrounds. Both handle Slack.
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Related pages

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More on RingCentral Video

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